Kalvin Phillips should use brutal Pep Guardiola remark as fuel to fire Everton transfer. Everton are interested in taking Kalvin Phillips on loan this summer
The debates have already started. Football supporters across the country have their own view; their own belief on who should start for England at this summer’s European Championship.
But one name that is not in the conversations that are taking place is Kalvin Phillips – and it is easy to see why. Firstly, he hasn’t even made Gareth Southgate’s provisional Three Lions squad.
Secondly, his form at West Ham United during the second half of the season was so poor that he essentially played himself out of Southgate’s mind and made it impossible for the England boss to select him.
Southgate had previously remained loyal to Phillips in the hope that he could rediscover the form that saw him flourish at Leeds United. But even he had to admit that the midfielder had been nowhere good enough to be considered for this summer’s competition.
However, it is easy to forget that Phillips was named England’s player of the year in 2021 after starting every game of their run to that summer’s Euros final. His performances were so impressive that Manchester City splashed out over £40m to secure his services the following year.
But after two years warming the bench at the Etihad Stadium, Phillips is in need of a fresh start, and that could come at Goodison Park. A loan move to Everton, who are keen to secure just that this summer, could be perfect for all parties.
One moment stands out when it comes to Phillips’ career at City It was back in December 2022 when Pep Guardiola claimed the England international returned from the World Cup “overweight” and ‘not in the right condition to train’.
While Phillips’ England team-mates John Stones, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all made appearances during City’s 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool, Phillips, who played 40 minutes in two substitute appearances in Qatar, was a surprise omission from the squad.
When asked why he wasn’t in the right shape to feature against Liverpool, Guardiola said: “He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know [why]. He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play.”
Phillips admitted earlier this year that the incident caused “a big knock” on his confidence. His mother, Lindsay, is also claimed to have stopped attending City matches following the remarks.
